My Contribution to My Community by McKenna

My Contribution to My Community by McKenna - January 2024 Scholarship Essay

The biggest contribution that I have made to my community is volunteering at my local animal shelter. From March 3rd to April 21, 2023, I dedicated over twenty hours to care for animals in need. I chose to serve at an animal shelter because I wanted to help animals that have been mistreated. I believe that animal cruelty is a serious problem and these animals deserve a second chance at a comfortable life. Over those two months I gained valuable knowledge about not only the animals, but also myself. By volunteering at the animal shelter, I learned discipline, compassion, and leadership.
Working with animals took more effort than I had anticipated. Before I was allowed to socialize with the animals, I had many chores to complete. I helped clean cages, feed and groom animals, and took dogs on walks around the facility. All of my assignments helped teach me that hard work brings rewards. Seeing a dog that I helped care for get adopted filled me with happiness and pride. This feeling is what kept me motivated to work enthusiastically.
When volunteering at an animal shelter, one of the most important jobs I had to do was show the animals love. Many of the animals had been abandoned or taken from terrible living conditions. This made it especially difficult for some of the dogs to trust me. Whilst being safe, I was taught to care for these traumatized dogs. This meant slowly socializing the dog with more and more people while giving them space of their own so they did not feel overwhelmed. I saw many dogs go through this process and it was one of the most amazing experiences to finally see a dog bonding with people after a long time of them showing only fear or fury. Caring for these animals helped me learn many of the physical clues that animals show when trying to express their emotions towards humans.
As I was doing my chores, I would be put into a small group with other volunteers and we would each take turns leading a task. I am grateful for the experience as not only a leader but as a follower too. I think being able to take orders and carry them out fully is just as important as skill as leading a group. I found that when everyone in my group valued these skills equally, we could accomplish our jobs more efficiently. Putting the animals' needs before our own and respecting each other, made my experience more enjoyable and taught me skills beyond animal care.
Since volunteering at the animal shelter, I have also volunteered at my local food bank, school, and gone on a week long mission trip to Asheville, NC. This summer I am excited to embark on another mission trip, this time to Nassau, Bahamas, where I will help run a summer literacy school for local children. As I discover myself throughout my college experience, I hope that there are many more opportunities to serve my community.